Cikgu Yesus: S.T.O.M.P. 2008

As promised, here's a brief account of my experience in Sarawak for the past 2 weeks! :)

Being away from the hustle and bustle of city life for the past two weeks have been truly a blessing to me.

Students Together On Mission Partnership, better known as STOMP, is organized by FES. It is a collaboration of 17 students from vast states of Peninsular coming together with another 17 students from all over East Malaysia. All in all, there were 34 students along with another 6 FES staffs and together, we embarked on a journey into the interiors of Pantu, Sarawak learning and making an impact in the Iban community!

STOMP 2008 is the second cross-cultural mission trip that FES has organized since STOMP 2007, that being the first ever STOMP. Having been to the inaugural STOMP last year, that experience really made a mark in my life in more ways than one.

Thus naturally, participating STOMP was in a way inevitable.

I've summarised a brief account of what I went through in the pass two weeks chronologically:

14th – 15th June 2008 (Saturday - Sunday).

Both teams from Semenanjung and Sarawak met up each at their own regional training centre. The Semanjung team met up at Oasis office, Subang Jaya whereas simultaneously, the East Malaysia team met up at the FES office, Kuching for their respective regional training as well.

On the 15th, we were given time to think and to re-write our testimony in Bahasa Malaysia, a daunting tasks for most of us. Difficult as it was, it helped most of us to adapt into using Bahasa Malaysia as well as to prepare us before flying off to Kuching.

16th June 2008.

The day we leave Kuala Lumpur! We, the Semenanjung team, began our escapade at 3.45am as we needed to be at the airport by 6am! Waking up was a torture but we were nonetheless all very excited! Moreover, we will be meeting our East Malaysian counterpart for the first time!

Upon arrival, we were greeted and welcomed by the East Malaysian students in the most friendliest and entertaining way. We had a welcoming dinner at night with delicious home-cooked Sarawak delicacies and for the following 4 days, we stayed at the SIB Central Avenue Church, Kuching to proceed on with the training.

17th – 19st June 2008.

With the merging of the Semenanjung and the East Malaysian team, training became slightly different. We were now split into 3 teams - Team A, Team B and Team C. Each team will be visiting 3 different longhouses. I was in Team C!

The training that we went through these 3 days included many topics which helped us tremendously as we prepared to step onto the field:

Perspective on Mission – by Peter Parris, FES staff, gave us a good view on the purpose of mission and how God looks at mission.

Learning the Iban Language – by Joshua Pandung, a FES Graduate Helper and son to the very experienced Pastor George Pandung. I enjoyed this session immensely. Learning the Iban language was not an easy tasks but it was enlightening and fun!

Understanding the Culture and Beliefs of the Iban – by Pastor William Leo. It was a session that helped us understand how the Iban people think as well as to understand their beliefs in the spiritual realm and their traditions. It has taught us the do's and don'ts and also how we ought to talk to them, our manners and body language.

Crossing Culture – by Rayneld, Fes Staff. A session filled with activities that taught us to understand and respect other culture. It helped us to see things from the eyes of the Iban people.

Commissioning Service – A service whereby we were prayed for as we made final preparations before leaving for our respective longhouses.


20th – 26th June 2008

Finally, the moment that we have all been waiting for – moving into the field! We packed and left the SIB Central Avenue early morning. It was about 2 hours journey from Kuching to Pekan Pantu. Thank God we all arrived safely at Pantu.

Pantu!

All the teams at the jetty waiting for their boat ride!


Perau!


Yee-Ha!

(Ohhh... I managed to catch a glimpse of a crocodile!)

Team A, Team B and Team C parted ways to the assigned longhouses. My team, Team C, went to the following longhouses:

20th – 23rd June 2008: Rumah Panjang Munggu Sawa

Berandau!

This is not a new place for me. I visited this longhouse last year. To me, I felt privileged to be able to revisit the people here again. I was excited to meet them and to see the changes that has taken place. Indeed, the changes were evident, at least to me it was. The people were much more God-centred and so much more welcoming. Last year while I was there, the church was still under construction and I actually helped out a little in its construction (carried bricks) and to see it standing tall in my recent visit, it moved my heart in a very indescribable way.

Last year I carried these bricks...


This time I see the fruit of it!

I believe God is working through this people to reach out to other Iban community. In total there are 16 doors in this longhouse and all have received Christ and are now being looked after by Pastor David from SIB. He actually lives with the people there. In a way, it made things easy for us especially in handling the services there.

Sekolah minggu (Sunday School)


The tuai rumah of Munggu Sawa.

23th - 25th June 2008: Rumah Panjang Sabal Aping

This is a new place for me. I did not know what to expect. Upon arrival, we could see that it was a total opposite of Munggu Sawa. The people seemed more rowdy (youngsters were smoking and drinking) and the people seemed less friendly. Most of the people in this place are not Christians and even if they were Christians, most were still holding on to other gods and practices. With the drastic change from Munggu Sawa to Sabal Aping, my team felt very uneasy and we all found it hard to adapt. This place just felt very uncomfortable. Fear started to creep in. There were superstitious offerings in certain parts of the house we were staying in and fear for our safety was another worry for us. Nonetheless, we knew God was with us and we prayed and get on with our programme. We persevered and held “kebaktian” on both nights we were there. Eventually, the people there gradually opened up to us though not completely but it was a good way to start things off.

25th - 26th June 2008: Rumah Panjang Kara Bangunan

It was unfortunate that we could only spend a night at this longhouse. Although not everyone in this longhouse are Christians, the family who opened their house for us were very receptive and welcoming. Some of the people there are Anglicans and others SIB. Thus, there is still not stability in terms of unity between the families in this longhouse. I believe however, God is working through the family who opened their house for us. Again, it is a stepping stone for a greater work ahead.

26th – 28th June 2008:

Returning back to Kuching was a relieve for many of us.

Selamat pulai!

As much as we enjoyed and cherished the experience at different longhouses, we were all grateful for the well-being of every participants. In the last few days, we had a thoroughly planned debriefing session – a time for us to count, to understand, to appreciate and to be grateful of the treasures that we have received throughout our stay at each longhouse.

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The people I met made a huge difference.

Team C


Adrin. He can REALLY sing man.


Murdy. This dude is the epitome of a natural clown! ;)


Melissa. I swear she sounds exactly like Sin Yee!!!


Steven. Mischievous is his middle name.


Sock Lee. The Banting girl who's friendship I truly appreciate.


Vinod. The only Indian around... Hehe.


Sook Yee. Camera.. Camera.. Camera..


Aaron. My fellow brother who coined the term "Top 3"!


Grace Mutang. The most hyperactive girl I have ever met!


Mezuen (left) and Fredda (right).
Friends I wished I had more time to bond with...


From left - Chris Koh, Chris Herbert, Aaron and Kenneth.


Wee Vian. Sounds like Wei Way and Jo... Haha!


From left - Aaron, Melissa, Chris and Mezuen.


Last but not least, having my childhood friend along this trip was a bonus.
Glad I could spend a good two weeks with Li Yee before she flies off to Singapore!

On the last day, we were at the FES office in Kuching. It was pretty cool cause on the notice board, there was a picture of STOMP 07'. It felt strange to see myself in that picture while being at STOMP 08' - A nice strange kinda feeling.

Friends scanning through the STOMP 07' picture.

I also managed to revisit certain trademark places.

For instance like Pekan Lachau...

STOMP 07'...


STOMP 08'!

Cultural Village...

STOMP 07'...


STOMP 08'!

This one is for Wai Wai... Hehe...

STOMP 07'...


STOMP 08'! :)

So, did we make an impact?

I believe for a fact that God has called each of us and used us and for that very reason alone, I know we made an impact. Evidently, I have the privileged of revisiting certain places and to be surprised by the people who could still remember me and remember what we did amazes me immensely. One of the woman I met last year even told me that her daughter is still keeping the Sunday School handicraft made by one of the participant from STOMP 2007. It's the little things that we do that will have a lasting impression in this peoples' lives. God works through us to make an impact. Just like how STOMP 07' opened way for STOMP 08', I believe with all my heart that STOMP 08' has also opened way for the many STOMP to come in the future!

What I Learnt...

Even though I went through the physical experience of STOMP last year, I have benefited many new lessons about myself, about God, about life and about people through STOMP 2008.

As I reflect back, I realized that I learnt a whole lot about myself this time around. I begin to see the defects in me that I never knew existed. Through working with my team mates, I learnt to humble myself even though I was by far the more experienced one – I learnt to submit to my leader, learnt to trust in him and Him. At times, it was not easy because the way I operate was so different than the way my team members operate. It is through this struggle that I began to understand the meaning of humbling one self, submissiveness and to trust.

Reflection...

I have also learnt that God is a creative God. Even though He is the same God “yesterday, today and tomorrow”, He answers and teaches us in different way each time.

Last year I recall asking God to grant me an answer about certain questions I had in my heart and God answered them in STOMP. This time around, I prayed the same thing – I asked Him to provide me with an answer, a confirmation just like how He did last year.

Well, He didn't.

At first, I was heartbroken but as I pondered about it, I realized that I was the cause of the problem. I have been comparing my previous STOMP experience with the current one. I was hoping that things would be the same but it was not. An experience can never repeat itself because each experience holds different lessons.

God is not an outdated God... He answers us in a brand new way each time.

God spoke to me with these words,

“I will answer you, my son... but not in the same way. Wait on me...
Just wait and you will see...”.

Waiting has always been an issue for me. I guess it's His way of sharpening me before He uses me for a greater good.

I named my experience for STOMP 08' as “Struggling and Discovering”. Truth be told, I struggled a lot personally this time. I had many unanswered questions, worries, expectations, disappointments, and fears yet it is through all these that I begin to unravel the riches of God's blessings. I begin to understand more about myself and more about God. In an ironic way, STOMP 08' has been a mission trip in which I took a boat and travelled within myself – my thoughts and my emotions – and coming out of it gave me a clearer perspective of who I really am.

Learning how to cook???

Even though STOMP has come to an end for me, I told myself it would not be the last time I visit those longhouses.

The Semenanjung team just before our flight back to KL.

As STOMP ends, a new journey awaits me – I will be embarking into the working world soon and I know He will be there teaching me along the way. Just as how I named my God of STOMP 2008 – He is indeed my Teacher.

p.s - To all FES staffs, thanks for everything! :)

Thank you, Father.